Midway through the third quarter, Dan Connor was more than a few feet away from the sideline huddle of linebackers, sitting slouched on the bench, with a Gatorade in his hands.

At the moment, it appeared like the treatment most starters get — the ability to take off the helmet and relax for the waning minutes.

Connor, though, is still locked in a preseason competition for the starting middle linebacker spot with Mark Herzlich. Although all six linebackers competing for spots will eventually find niche roles in the defense, Connor’s battle with Herzlich has been one of the most watched during training camp.

That’s why it didn’t go unnoticed that Connor took almost all of the first-half snaps at the position. Herzlich made his way in just before halftime and piloted the second string alongside Jacquian Williams and Aaron Curry.

"He had some good reps in there with the ones," said fellow linebacker Spencer Paysinger. "I feel like he’s got a really good grasp on the defense even though he’s only been here for a few months."

His performance, though, wasn’t enough to clinch the spot.

"I’ll have to look at the tape," Tom Coughlin said.

He added: "It’s been very competitive. We flipped it around and wanted to see him operate with the ones."

• First-round pick Justin Pugh saw his first game action of his career last night at left tackle.

After missing 10 days with concussion symptoms, the rookie out of Syracuse was almost placed in the game as a jumbo tight end before coming out and re-entering as a left tackle.

"I felt comfortable over there," Pugh said. "I think just knowing what I had to do was something that definitely helped me out. I had some good plays. I had some not-so-good plays that I wish I could get back, but I think overall, definitely learning from this."

• Coughlin was pleased with tight end Larry Donnell, who, the team feared, sustained an ACL injury during practice Friday.

Donnell was cleared by doctors, though, and played through the pain.

"Once the doctor told me I was cleared, the only way I wasn’t going to play was if that leg wasn’t there," Donnell said, laughing.